


Alpha: Part 2: A Good Mammal

by TheSchwartz



Category: Zootopia
Genre: Action, Basically everything and more from part 1, Canon Compliant (an attempt was made), F/M, Fight Sequences, Fluff, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-11-04 01:11:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17888711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSchwartz/pseuds/TheSchwartz
Summary: In which Nick Wilde can finally build a relationship with Judy Hopps.But all is not well. A storm is brewing. Dangerous and cruel mammals will resurface.Alpha will return in their wake.Sequel to “Alpha: Part 1: A Good Fox”.





	1. Prologue: Mustard Gas and Atom Bombs

_Come gather 'round people_ __  
_Wherever you roam_ __  
_And admit that the waters_ __  
_Around you have grown_ __  
_And accept it that soon_ __  
_You'll be drenched to the bone._ __  
_If your time to you_ __  
_Is worth savin'_ __  
_Then you better start swimmin'_ __  
_Or you'll sink like a stone_  
For the times they are a-changin'.

_-Bob Dylan_

  
  
  


_Two months ago…_

  


Dawn Bellwether, former mayor, ongoing schemer, couldn’t say she hated prison.

 

Quite the contrary in fact. In prison there was no paperwork, the ewe’s time was scheduled for her, food and books were brought to her free of charge, it was truly wonderful.

 

It gave her time to think, and to plan.

 

She had written a book, it was a work in progress but the idea was sound. _My Struggle_ _in a Predator’s World_. It was a grassroots uprising in print. It told of her anguish. Her desire to put down _them_. Those beasts. Predators ruled the world and had to be segregated, preferably eradicated. At the height of the savage predator outbreak she had concocted in Zootopia, the city of lies, she almost did just this.

 

And that one _fucking_ rabbit and her pelt of a sidekick ruined it all.

 

Dawn thought of the night before. A live Gazelle concert was held in Zootopia Stadium, and the prison administration saw fit to play it live on a little TV for the inmates. Most saw it as an enjoyable experience. For her it was akin to being waterboarded. Every now and then the camera would pan to the crowd, showing prey intermingling with filth. God, how she wanted to burn that stadium to the…

 

A loud banging on her cell door startled the ewe from her reverie. “Bellwether! Come on! You have a visitor,” the boar on guard duty ground out. For a prey he was quite rude to her. She understood that some were brainwashed into believing this “coexistence” lie. That rabbit for one…

 

As she was led to the visitor center, Dawn thought of Officer Judy Hopps, first rabbit on the Zootopian Police Department, and for a while a very good pawn. She was certain she could count on the country bunny to help enforce the laws she would have enacted to end predator occupation once and for all. But no, she _had_ to follow her flawed ideals. She _had_ to have her mind twisted by that fox. What was his name? Nick…something? It didn’t matter. He was a demon.

 

Dawn was escorted to a large metal door, through which she entered a plain white room, with a wide mirror to one side. In front was a simple grey table, a bit too large for her, and a chair of equal proportions. A door identical to the one she entered through loomed in the opposite wall.

 

“I thought I had a visitor,” she remarked to the guard.

 

“He insisted on a room,” said the boar as he cuffed her hooves to the desk and left the room. Standard procedure. She wasn’t fazed by it in the least.

 

What entered through the door across from her, however, did send a chill up her spine.

 

The Impala was old, yet did not act it. He entered following a wolf guard… _disgusting creature…_ and crossed the room in a few purposeful strides. Sitting across from her, Dawn took in how not a crease was out of place on his suit, nor a single scuff on the briefcase he lay before her on the table. His graying fur was neatly brushed, and his wrinkles spoke of his experience more than his age. But it was his eyes that captivated her; slate grey and sharp as cut obsidian. They appeared to look through her, straight into her soul.

 

Without a word, the larger herbivore reached for his briefcase and popped the clasps on it. Opening the case, he produced a recording device, and closed it back up. The recording machine was an older model, with big magnetic tape reels, easily a few decades old. In the time it took to set it up and get the tape spinning, Dawn mentally chided him for using such an archaic device.

 

After a moment where Dawn was unaware she was holding her breath, the impala spoke. “You look well Dawn, all things considered.”

 

The sheep relaxed, and put on her best sickly sweet mask. “Oh, Director Kitridge. You flatterer. Hmhmm! I’m _so_ glad you came to visit me. I was hoping you’d have come sooner.”

 

The impala’s expression never changed, staying a vaguely pleasant neutral. “It’s been busy. Besides, I thought it best to let you think on your actions for a while.”

 

A crack appeared in Dawn’s mask. “Whatever do you mean, sir?”

 

“”Cut the shit, Bellwether,” said the impala in his unwavering tone. “You know why you’re here.

 

“What?...”

 

“Drop the act. You’re not in city hall anymore.”

 

The mask contorted into a grimace. Bellwether scowled at her visitor. “And here I thought this was a happy visit. What exactly do you want other than to waste my time?”

 

“Time doing what exactly? You think you’re going to get out of here to try and raise Hell _again_?” responded the impala. “Regardless, I’m here to understand why one of my own decided to go rogue, with a few co-conspirators, and managed to send the city into chaos.”

 

“I was saving the city!” snapped the sheep. “I was purging those savage predators!”

 

“What were my exact words?” said the director in an even tone. “I believe they were ‘keep an eye on Mayor Lionheart, inform me of his ongoing activities, let me know if his policies become a threat to the agency.’ Not _stage a fucking coup._ ”

 

“That pelt put me through hell! He’s arrogant and conceited, just like the rest of his kind.”

 

“That’s one of the things I wanted to talk about,” he continued. “How long has this hatred of predators been a thing?”

 

“What are you, a psychologist?” sneered the ewe.

 

“This didn’t come up in your psychological evaluation.”

 

“I’ve had this buried for a long time. I’ve learned to hide my pain,” she said. “And why did _you_ come here to ask me these questions? Don’t you have some underling to handle this for you? Possibly one with a recorder made in this century?”

 

“I like to handle problems with my own two hooves, and this old gal’s served me well,” he said with a pat on the recording machine’s well-kept plastic casing. “My father always said ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself.”

 

Bellwether scoffed. “Really? _My_ father always said predators were taking his place at the office, and that they were holding him back. I only really learned what he meant when I was assigned to Lionheart.”

 

“You felt that, because of his position, some change was necessary?”

 

“I _knew_ because of his and others’ arrogance that change, no matter how violent, would be justified.”

 

Kitridge thought on this for a moment, eyes in the middle distance. “So you decided world domination was the answer, by… what… ousting all predators as evil?”

 

“Aren’t they? They’re ten percent of the population and yet they take all the highest ranking positions and put down good hard working prey!”

 

“Hmm. I wouldn’t say _all_ the highest ranking positions,” said Kitridge knowingly. “Besides, I like to think there’s a lot prey like us can learn from them.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Drive, for one thing. Individuality, a sense of personal motivation,” listed the taller herbivore. “Amazing what a mammal can accomplish when they put their mind too it. Just look at that rabbit…”

 

“Don’t you **_fucking_ ** start with that naive pelt-loving bitch!” shouted Dawn. Behind Kitridge, the wolf guard tensed slightly. “She and that _fox_ ruined months of work!”

 

“All the better for them. And be nice to that fox, he was something of a legend at the agency.”

 

“ _That fox_ worked for you?! What could a fox do that would ever be useful to the agency?” said the sheep. This was outrageous. A fox being useful? Like that would ever happen.  

 

“That fox’s name is Nicholas Wilde,” said Kitridge. “But I guess that means little to you. He was well known by another name to those without clearance.”

 

Bellwether thought for a moment. When she worked at the agency, there was only one operative’s name that was on everyone’s tongue. It spoke of a creature with precision ferocity. Did he truly mean?... _No! It couldn’t be!_ Her eyes went wide in horror, like she had seen a ghost. “You mean that _fox_ was…”

 

“Alpha?” butted in Kitridge. The name rolled off his tongue with ease. “Yes. Yes he was.”

 

The room seemed to grow a bit colder. Bellwether suppressed a shiver.

 

“B-but he couldn’t hurt me, or-or anyone!” she stammered, “He was a mess when I met him!” She had heard stories. Acts of viciousness which that mammal had incurred were supposedly beyond words. It helped solidify her ideas of all predators. The fox _she_ had known ran from her and her hired guards when he could have easily torn them to pieces.

 

“He’s broken, maybe. However, he _is_ a police officer now by what I’m told. A colleague of mine has considered this change of pace might one day bring him back to us. Time will tell I guess.”

 

“He’s a broken weapon alright. I highly doubt he’d be any use to anyone,” said the ewe in a tone more confident than she felt.

 

“Speaking of weapons,” said Kitridge. “I’m intrigued by your choice. Your plan for power was to use several of my chemists and a forty-year-old bioweapon?”

 

“Like you know of the power nighthowlers hold,” Dawn said with a sneer. That was a good one liner.

 

“Know it? I conducted the investigations on its field tests back in the day,” said Kitridge bluntly. Bellwether felt like a rug was pulled out from under her feet. “Did _you_ ever hear the first hand accounts I got? I suggest listening to the recordings. Prey and predator alike ripping each other to shreds. Nightmarish descriptions to say the least. I had the project scrapped, but I guess bad pennies always have a way of turning up when you least expect.”

 

“ _You_ shut it down?!” exclaimed the ewe. “You saw what it did when I had it! nighthowlers are a wonder weapon! A few concentrated shots and I had the city in my hooves! It was a weapon that would change the world.”

 

“So were mustard gas and the atomic bomb,” remarked Kitridge. “But they were frowned upon for a reason. They’re too messy. You want to blast a few of the local populous, you’re looking at the possible contamination of everyone around them, regardless of species. Tell me, what would have happened if one of your targets fell into a water reservoir? Nighthowler serum is toxic through skin contact alone. A pandemic would have broken out. Entire districts could have fallen apart. That is why I pulled the plug on the project. Like mustard gas and atom bombs, it’s too destructive for its own good. I will give Doug and your other followers credit though. It couldn’t have been easy working from those old papers.”

 

“It wasn’t,” said Bellwether, a smug smile crossed her lips. “Months of preparation went into the first batch of serum. We had to pay off some vermin to fetch the ingredients for us, and use a derelict subway car as a base of operation. It was still in working condition, if barely, so the lab could be relocated in a hurry if needed. Doug, Woolter, and Jesse were so proud of themselves when the first batch of serum was finished. I assume Doug and the others are…”

 

“They’ve been taken care of,” said the impala. He reached for the case once more, but stopped just shy of opening it. “One final question. What did you make of the two who arrested you? Hopps and Wilde.”

 

“What, like would they make a good couple?” asked Dawn. That would be the day. A fox and rabbit couple? Like that could ever happen.

 

“No. realistically, how did they work together. More specifically, how did _he_ work with her.”

 

“They did alright,” conceded the sheep. “I mean well enough to stumble on my plan. Wilde’s clever I’ll give him that, and braver than he looks. Certainly stuck around long enough to keep Judy happy.”

 

“Curious…” the impala started, but trailed off with a distant look that Bellwether couldn’t place. “I think that about covers it.”

 

“Great! So you’ll be going then?” said Dawn, eager to get back to her book.

 

Instead of a response, Kitridge shifted his expression to one of absolute serenity. “You know what, Dawn, I think I’ve figured out why your plan failed. Quite simply, you don’t understand how the world works.”

 

For the second time during the interrogation, the case lid opened.

 

“What do you mean?” asked the ewe, trying to contain the twisting feeling in her gut.

 

“You like to think that the world is separated into predator and prey, claws and horns, when in reality it isn’t,” said Kitridge in a conversational tone. “That divide doesn’t exist, at least not in an absolute way. Society wouldn’t work the way it does if it did. Now, you’re young, younger than me at any rate, you don’t know what speciesism was like back in the day. Segregation. Shock collars. It was havoc.”

 

“But that’s behind us,” continued the impala, as he fiddled with something in the case Bellwether couldn’t see. “And what worked in small cities in 1960 doesn’t work with an internationally connected world. You know what _does_ work? Order. Security. _Not_ inciting mass hysteria. Because division of any kind is a sign of weakness in the international community. Division can turn against you just like _that_.”

 

“This isn’t a world of predator and prey. In many ways it never has been. This is a world of good mammals, and bad mammals. And there are those who are among the good that know to do the right thing, no matter the cost.”

 

Dawn had been so caught up in his words she barely registered the silenced automatic handgun he now aimed at her forehead.

 

“What!?...”

 

“You chose the wrong side, Dawn,” said the director with ironclad finality.

 

A bleat of fear escaped Dawn Bellwether’s mouth even as a copper-jacketed slug entered her head.

  
  


 

Kitridge placed the gun back in the case and began dismantling the recording unit. The picture before him was one of grotesqueness. A dead sheep with a splatter of red behind her on the opposite wall.

 

He hardly raised an eyebrow to it.

 

This was inevitable. She was a black mark on his agency. If word got around that the deranged sheep was supposed to be under _his_ jurisdiction then… well, so long unaccountability.

 

With the machine stowed and the case finally closed, Kitridge stood and faced the guard behind him. The wolf stood a little taller at attention. A picture of strength and vigor.

 

Kitridge admired the young mammal’s stoicism for a moment before speaking. “Dawn Bellwether’s official death will be a week from now. It will be by hanging in her quarters and confirmed a suicide. This meeting never took place. Everything said here was never heard. Is that understood?”

 

The wolf wasted no time in offering a sharp “Yes sir.”

 

“Good. I’ll have someone over to clean this up.” replied the impala with a gesture to the mess. “Do you agree with what I did?”

 

“Honestly sir,” said the wolf guard. “Everyone in this prison wanted that sheep dead.”

 

Kitridge let out a short grunt. He gave a final nod to the canine who opened the door and let him through. The Director mentally pat himself on the back for his ability to pick his surveillance operatives… with one wooly exception.

 

Some would call it paranoia, having his own mammals buried in other departments.

 

He preferred the term insurance.

 

As Kitridge exited the detention wing of Zootopia City Penitentiary and crossed the parking lot to his car, a black sinister-looking vehicle, he could see the events to come following the release of Bellwether’s “suicide”. There would be no martyrdom for the sheep. News would get around, not as much as when she was incarcerated, but enough to keep mammals chatting over coffee. That would die down within a few months and everyone would move on to other topics. Mammals got bored. It was the way of the world.

 

Kitridge got in his car and allowed himself a small smile.

 

He liked it when things went his way.

  
  


 

Miles away, a red fox in a police uniform that still felt a little too big for him strolled towards the police cruiser across the street, a coffee cup in each paw. Nick ignored the interested looks of passers by, not that he didn’t sympathize with them. A year ago he would have never thought that a fox like him could ever be an officer of the law. Not all the gazes were malicious, at least. News of the Nighthowler Case had mentioned a certain fox helped solve the crime of a generation, much to said fox’s dismay. He didn’t like the limelight, a holdover from his past…

 

But, now wasn’t the time to dwell on such things. For now, he had a new, honest career, a proper home, and a best friend and partner by his side… regardless of that weird twinge in his chest whenever he thought of her. As he opened the door to the police cruiser,  revealing said partner, the rabbit officer Judy Hopps, he couldn’t help but smile.

 

He liked it when things went his way.

 

Of course, the mood was broken as the tod’s coffee cup slipped from his paw, dousing the ground around his feet. The rabbit in the driver’s seat let out a gasp, as the fox gave a great sigh of resignation.

 

“Fuck me.”


	2. How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bunny

“Officer Wilde?”

 

Silence.

 

“Officer Wilde?”

 

Nick shook himself from his stupor. What was he thinking about? He didn’t remember.

 

“Mm? Sorry,” he said to the mammal in the armchair across from him. “Got lost in my head for a while there.”

 

“Not at all,” replied the mammal, a thin pine marten with short brown fur and a patient smile. She watched Nick with inquisitive brown eyes. Everything about her exhumed kindness, wholly and without ulterior motive.

 

Nick didn’t like it. It made him squirm in his seat.

 

“I can tell you’re uncomfortable, Nick,” said the marten. Her mouth quirked into a smile. “You don’t do well with opening up to strangers.”

 

That he didn’t. “Took you a couple weeks of therapy sessions to figure that out, Doc?”

 

He hadn’t meant to lash out. He had used sarcasm to circumvent problems in the past. It was an old trick, a hustler’s trick, one that he wanted to faze out as a respectable police officer. “I’m sorry, Doc. It’s been an… interesting month.”

 

The marten only held a smile. “No apologies needed. You’ve made quite a bit of progress since we first spoke. And you don’t have to remind me why we’re here. Remember, I read the report. The real one.”

 

Nick knew what she was referring too. His one-mammal war against arms dealer Ivan Meowkov. The subsequent fallout of his closest friends learning of the government assassin Alpha.

 

His past.

 

_Him._

 

All of this, contained within the official report by detectives Wolford and Fangmeyer, was taken and classified by the Zootopian Sovereignty Intelligence Agency. A similar report omitting his connections to this former life was officially released. He figured something like that would happen.

 

Nick nodded in understanding. “Not exactly my finest moment.”

 

“You did what you thought was right. That’s all we as mammals can do.” said the marten, her expression somber. “It can’t be easy, going through something like that. And after all the times you did it before.”

 

The psychiatrist was also from the agency, so she knew his past practically unfiltered. It helped her paint a more complete picture of his cobbled psyche.

 

He figured something like that would happen too.

 

“Ha!” barked the vulpine. “This assignment was a cakewalk! I’d choose it any day of the week compared to… to…” Nick faltered. He was doing it again, covering up with jokes.

 

“Damnit,” he said, rubbing a paw across his face. “I gotta stop doing that.”

 

“You’ll get there,” said the marten. “You’re undoing a mentality years in the making.”

 

Nick nodded. “That’s true, I guess. Like you said before, in those days, all I had for coping was indifference.”

 

“But in those days you didn’t have someone to look out for, did you? Someone you loved?” asked the doctor with the same gentle tone.

 

This was referring to _her_ , of course. He had also spoke to the doctor of her. How could he forget her?

 

Seriously, how could he? She enveloped his every waking thought in a soft blanket. He would catch a whiff of her scent and it would drown his mind in happiness. He loved her beyond words, beyond reason, beyond all that was good in this world.

 

It still amazed him that a little grey rabbit was capable of making him feel this way.

 

“She’s a different story, yeah.” said Nick. He scratched the underside of his muzzle.

 

“She was understanding when you told her though? About your past?”

 

“Yeah, she was.”

 

“You don’t sound very happy about it.”

 

Nick’s tail twitched uncomfortably. “I’m glad she forgave me… but what happens if one day, she doesn’t? What happens if she learns too much about me, and leaves?”

 

“It sounds like you’re focusing too much on the ‘ifs’,” said the psychiatrist. “You know that she loves you. She said so.”

 

“She did.”

 

“You _are_ certain she isn’t lying?”

 

“I am.”

 

“Then let her love you, past and all, as you love her in her entirety,” concluded the marten.

 

“I’m… afraid to.” said Nick with a sigh.

 

“You have every right to be. It’s a different way of living.” replied the marten. “In life, there are three stages of a mammal’s relationship to others. The first is dependence; we all start as kits and cubs who need the attention of a loving parent. The second is independence; when a mammal becomes self-sufficient and decides they can take care of themselves. For many this is the end of their social development.”

 

“I can attest to that,” said Nick with a smirk.

 

The marten chuckled. “That may be true. But there is a third stage, one that many forget about: _interdependence_. It’s the idea that, as mammals, we are social creatures. Sometimes we do need one another for support. There is a necessity for give and take between those with close bonds. Friends, lovers, family, coworkers, all have to be there for one another in order to strengthen those bonds.”

 

The small mammal leaned forward a bit. “Trust in Officer Hopps, to understand and be there for you. And in turn she will trust in you.”

 

Nick allowed those words to sink in. Did he trust Judy? Yes, yes he certainly did. Did she trust him? Probably. She had said so. Did he trust _himself_ to maintain her trust? Well…

 

“I know it’s hard to open up to someone,” said the marten. “But if she’s half the good mammal you say she is, I guarantee she’ll stand by you, always.”

 

The fox who once was Alpha gave a short nod. “Okay. I’ll try.”

 

“Do or do not, Officer Wilde. There is no try.”

 

Nick gave a short laugh, jettisoning any tension he held with it. “Great movie.”

 

The marten chuckled. “You have good taste. It’s the best one of the series.”

 

She looked down at her watch, made a face, and looked back up at the tod. “Well, I do believe that concludes our hour, Officer Wilde. Thank you for stopping by.”

 

“Sure thing, Doc,” said Nick as he hopped off the comfortable couch. “Same time on Wednesday, right?”

 

“You betcha,” replied the Marten. “Take care.”

 

 **_(Accompaniment:_ ** _Heroes by David Bowie)_

 

Nick closed the door behind him, and strolled off into one of Precinct One’s main hallways. It was mid afternoon, though Nick was to go back home. He had for the last couple of weeks. He was still on recovery leave after all. As he had been for nearly a month. The fox did not mind, however, for he had more than simply his apartment to return to.

 

Since they had confessed their love for one another, Judy had refused to leave Nick’s apartment, save for a few personal effects brought over from hers. She slept on his couch, despite his insistence she take his bed, and was around him daily while his body recovered. “For assistance”, she had claimed. Nick was just grateful for her being there.

 

As he made his way into the lobby, Nick’s thoughts once again derailed at the sight of Judy Hopps, first rabbit officer of the Zootopia Police Department, chatting with the rotund cheetah at the front desk, Benjamin Clawhauser, as well as the wolf and tiger detectives Alec Wolford and Irene Fangmeyer, respectively. This group, with the exception of the cheetah, and including the precinct’s chief, were the only ones in the ZPD who knew the story of Nick’s former life.

 

His love for Judy however…

 

“...like what Bellwether did to herself. What a way to go. She must have been truly… Hey Nick!” said Clawhauser when he noticed the fox, a smile between his chubby cheeks. “Just chatting up Bun-bun over here.”

 

Nick put on a casual smirk. “Hey, Spots! How’s it hanging?”

 

“Oh, I’m all the happier now that you two are coming back to work soon! Ooh! And Judy says you’re _together!_ Gotta say, you two make a cute… I mean, _adorable_ couple!”

 

Nick chuckled. He still didn’t quite get why rabbits found that word demeaning. “Thanks, Ben.”

 

He remembered when he and Judy had approached the precinct’s own Chief Bogo over their new relationship, on Judy’s insistence of course, in order to adhere to fraternization protocols. Nick wasn’t familiar on the regulations himself, so he had been anxious as to what tête-à-tête the duo and their boss would get into.

 

The actual dialogue lasted less than a minute.

 

“Do you believe this will affect your ability to function as partners and officers?” asked the looming herbivore.

 

“No sir,” was the smaller mammals’ simultaneous response, with the rabbit adding, “Do you, sir?”

 

“Knowing you two?” Bogo asked with a raised eyebrow. “No.”

 

Nick cracked a self-satisfied grin, “You’re the best, Chief!”

 

Bogo gave a noncommittal grunt and went back to his paperwork. “No one likes a kiss-ass Wilde. Now, get out of my office.”

 

The memory still brought a smile to the vulpine’s face.

 

“Speaking of adorable couples,” said Nick. “Wolfy, Fangs, haven’t seen you in a while. How was your time off?”

 

“Went well, Nick. Thanks,” said Wolford, Obviously ignoring Nick’s remark about ‘couples’.

 

The fox pressed on. “You two ‘hung out’ a bit?”

 

“I don’t…”

 

“Inciting ‘mass hysteria’?”

 

“What does…”

 

“You and Fang hooked up didn’t you?” said Nick bluntly.

 

Wolford’s mouth formed a thin line. “How are you so certain we’re together, Wilde?”

 

“You smell like each other.”

 

The canine raised an eyebrow. “Aye. We’re partners. We work in close proximity…”

 

“ _Way_ more like each other. And after paid leave. Spending some _quality time_ together, eh?” said Nick with an eyebrow wiggle.

 

Wolford gave a small sigh while a growl slipped from Fangmeyer’s teeth. “You know we wanted to keep that a secret, right Wilde?” The wolf said.

 

“Well, I forgot my megaphone,” said Nick dramatically patting his pockets. “Thankfully, it’s just a few of us here.”

 

“Yeah, including big mouth,” ground out Fangmeyer, as she gestured to Clawhauser, the precinct’s equivalent of the village gossip, who was practically vibrating with excitement in his chair. He opened his maw to say something left unspoken as the tiger quickly blocked the opening with a forceful paw. “If you tell _anyone_ about this, I’ll tear your throat out with my teeth.”

 

“That’s a bit rough, Irene,” said Wolford, unfazed. He had gotten used to her psychotic flare over the years as her partner.

 

“C’mon Alec, we’re all preds here,” replied the feline as she removed her paw from the cheetah.

 

“Well not all of us,” said the wolf, gesturing to the smallest member of the group. Nick looked at the rabbit and felt his heart melt a little.

 

“Hopps could fool me. She’s more of a predator than some predators I know,” said Fangmeyer. Wolford let out a deep laugh.

 

Nick didn’t notice the rest of this conversation, his attention now fully transfixed by the rabbit. Smiling like a fool, he casually strolled up to her. His heart rate increased with each step. “Hey, you.”

 

She gave him a slow smirk, eyes betraying none of the love that radiated from them. “Hey… you.”

 

They shared a short chuckle. Nick nodded to the front entrance of the precinct. “Wanna get outta here?”

 

The rabbit let her actions speak, as she turned towards it herself and held out her paw. “Sure.”

 

The fox gently took hold of it, and, with a final wave to their friends, they both headed for the exit, paw in paw.

 

Once outside, the two casually strolled in the direction of home. It was late December now. The holidays were in full swing as mammals wandered about amidst colored lights and songs of good cheer. The air was consistently brisk, though after being cooped up in Nick’s apartment for a prolonged time neither mammal wanted to be in a car or train. They both simply cocooned themselves farther into their coats, Judy in her green parka and Nick in his sleek, black peacoat. For added warmth the rabbit clung to the side of her fox. His winter fur coat had fully grown in, giving him a fluffier look. For Judy, this translated to extra cuddliness. Nick didn’t mind the increased contact in the least.

 

“You know you could’ve kept Wolford and Fangmeyer’s relationship a secret, right?” said Judy.

 

“Yeah, but, where’s the fun in that?” returned Nick with a grin.

 

“Well,” said the rabbit, “For fairness, I guess I should spill the beans on how you _love_ to sing while making breakfast.”

 

The fox scoffed, though unease crept into his stomach. “Yeah, like you could convince them…”

 

“ **_I! I will be king! And you!_ **...”

 

The sound of a familiar voice, brash and unapologetic in its musical nature, caught Nick mid sentence. Judy unveiled her audio recording carrot pen, along with an impressively smug face.

 

The tods eyes widened. “Maybe… I can tone down the mocking… a bit.”

 

“Good boy,” said the doe, as she scratched behind his ear. Nick couldn’t help the reflexive way he lent into it.

 

“You are an _evil_ little bunny,” he said, pulling away.

 

“Yup!” she replied unapologetically. “But I’m _your_ evil little bunny.”

 

Nick felt his heart do a summersault. He chuckled and lent down, kissing her between the ears, raising a blissful hum from the rabbit.

 

“So,” said Judy, as the pair wandered through a park on the way to Nick’s apartment. “What did you two talk about today?”

 

“Oh, not much,” said the fox. “Just my crippling delusions. I keep seeing this crazy, malicious rabbit that keeps following me around.”

 

The bunny let out a fit of giggles, music to Nick’s ears, followed by a playful punch to the fox’s arm. “Dumb fox. That’s all?”

 

She would never pressure him. The question was always light and to be taken as casual conversation. But Nick usually told her at least something of his therapy sessions. It helped him cope and he could see that it helped her to understand.

 

But today all he had for her was a statement. It had followed him since he had left the office.

 

“Just… Judy,” he began, catching her full attention by using her real name. He wheeled around in front of her and held her gaze. She returned it with patience and no small amount of concern in her eyes. “I… I want this out in the open that… I trust you. One hundred percent. I love you, and I trust you. You are without a doubt the most important mammal in my life. No matter what, I will always have your back.”

 

The rabbit stood there for so long Nick was certain she had short circuited. Before he could ask if she was okay, Judy leapt at him, wrapped her arms and legs around his torso, and planted a kiss on the end of his muzzle. He stood there dumbstruck for a moment before he himself wrapped his arms around the bunny and returned the kiss with added fire. When their lips parted, their eyes locked, passion and secret longing left unspoken flowing between them.

 

Since going public, Nick had noticed how the idea of a fox and rabbit dating wasn’t as controversial as he had once thought. Most mammals didn’t even notice the small couple and, frankly, those who did didn’t give a damn. Mammals tend not to care when it’s not their own lives involved.

 

But right here, had the eyes of the world been on them, Nick wouldn’t have known or cared in the least.

 

“I trust you too, my crazy, wonderful fox,” said the rabbit once they had parted muzzles.

 

“Hey. I take offense to that wonderful,” snarked Nick.

 

The rabbit brought a paw up and cupped his cheek. “I’m serious, Nick. _I love you._ I can’t think of anyone I trust more in this world.”

 

“I love you too, Judy,” said Nick, a grin finding its way to his face. “I am pretty wonderful, aren’t I?”

 

Judy laughed and nodded and gave him another peck on the lips. She lowered herself to the ground and the pair carried on their way.

 

“I can’t wait for our date tomorrow,” said the rabbit, her arm around his.

 

Nick hummed in agreement. They had planned it for over a week now. They were within the small window of time between being relatively healed and returning to work, which would be within a few days. The pair wanted to make the most of it.

 

Nick wrapped his arm around the smaller mammal, the love of his life, and smiled. “Neither can I fluff.”

 

Things were finally looking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say. 
> 
> More fluff to come. 
> 
> Keep on keepin’ on. 
> 
> EDIT: I had to reupload this. My apologies to those who commented.


	3. Phantom Ailment

Judy felt like shit.

 

This just made her feel all the more like crap.

 

When she had awoken that morning, head swimming and throat raw, she had tried to hide it from Nick. This failed however, which in hindsight should have been expected considering his observant nature. The fox insisted she take the bed while he made her something warm to sip on.

 

There was no doubt about it; Judy Hopps was sick.

 

Despite her pleading that she was fine and could go on their date that day, or what little pleading she could do in such a state, Nick wouldn’t hear it.

 

“Nick, I’m… fine… Seriously,” the rabbit ground out before dissolving into a coughing fit.

 

“Carrots, you’re a fighter, I’m not questioning that,” said Nick in a deadpan tone. “But right now you have to accept that the germs won this round.”

 

He sat on the edge of the bed in his blue pajama pants, his winter coat being far too warm and fluffy for a proper shirt to be comfortable. He had already given her an ibuprofen tablet and some water. Judy couldn’t help but smile at his care and attention.

 

“Here, drink this. It’ll help your throat,” Nick said, bringing forth and handing her a mug of an unknown drink. She grasped the warm container and brought it to her lips, tasting apple and a hint of cinnamon. It helped to soothe her throat immediately and she sighed in content.  

 

“This is… delicious. What is it?” she asked in a whisper, so as not to strain her voice.

 

“Hot apple cider and cinnamon,” said Nick as he placed the mug on the nightstand. “My mom used to make it for me when I was sick.”

 

Judy was not so sick that she couldn’t see the pang of hurt in Nick’s eyes when he said this. He had been opening up to her about his past more and more in the last few weeks. Little tidbits on a shop he and his mother would visit, or a favorite song they liked to listen to on the radio. Every time he did so it flowed more easily, the stories came with less and less pain. Even now she saw the hurt was only a part of a much happier reverey. It had become easier for him to remember the good he had experienced in life.

 

“Well she would be proud of you for making it,” said Judy. She took his paw in hers, giving it a squeeze.

 

“Yeah, I guess she would,” replied Nick as he returned the loving caress.

 

Judy placed the mug on Nick’s nightstand and lay her head back on the pillow. Her head felt like it was on spin cycle. She shivered lightly. When did it get so cold?

 

“You cold, fluff?” said Nick, taking notice.

 

“...No.”

 

“Carrots…” he spoke accusingly.

 

“Just… maybe a little,” she admitted, followed by another coughing fit.

 

Without a moment's hesitation, the vulpine gracefully leapt up onto the bed, encircled the startled grey doe, and lay down with his muzzle beside her head, the tip of his tail on the opposite side.

 

Judy found herself surrounded. She was enveloped in deep red fur that radiated heat and rippled like tall grass in a summer breeze. She curled up into the roll of fox and sighed. If the disease were to take her life now, it would have been with a smile on her face.

 

Then Nick began to purr.

 

“Ohhhhhhh, _sweetcheeseandcrackers_ ,” sighed the rabbit in content. She absentmindedly stroked the living massage blanket around her.

 

“I’m always happy to bring comfort in these trying times,” said Nick with a rumbling tone.

 

“Wait, aren’t you worried you’ll get sick too?” whispered Judy, concern worming its way out of her bliss.

 

“Don’t worry, fluff,” said Nick in a similarly quiet voice. “Foxes and bunnies can’t catch the same illnesses.”

 

“Is that true?” was her skeptical response.

 

“Yup.”

 

She wasn’t convinced. She would have argued more, but in light of her current state she selfishly couldn’t bring herself to. Instead, she concentrated on petting the russet cocoon, enjoying the coarser outer fur and its contrasting softer, inner layer. She reached down to the skin and gave light scratches that pulled heavier purrs along with a few whimpers and yips from the fox that protected her so.

 

Her mind reverted to what he had said yesterday. _This_ was his unbridled trust. The sounds he made and the care he gave were for her and her alone. He would have never let another being get this close to him and hear what she heard.

 

Her thoughts were broken by something she didn’t expect to feel in her ministrations: a ridge in Nick’s skin. Intrigued, she felt along the anomaly and discovered it was about an inch in length. She branched out her search and discovered even more ridges, all at non-uniform angles and sizes. Some were bigger than others. Some were more circular than elongated. Judy was perplexed at their existence. Then it hit her.

 

They were scars.

 

There were dozens of them, all concealed by the fox’s fur. She traced their individual paths and shapes with her stubby claws.

 

It took her awhile to register that the fox had stopped purring.

 

“You okay, fluff?” asked Nick, tension lacing his words. He was aware of what she was observing, but he didn’t want to say it directly. _Poor fox_.

 

“How many do you have? From your past?” she asked without accusation. She nuzzled into his cheek for good measure. He had to know there was nothing to worry about telling her.

 

“I honestly haven’t counted,” he said after a moment. “But I remember where each one came from.”

 

“Oh,” said Judy as she found a particularly big gash along his right abdomen. “What about this one?”

 

“Wolf with a samurai sword, if you can believe it,” said Nick almost instantly. “One of the Yakuza.”

 

“And this one?” said the rabbit with a brush of a circular abrasion on his right pectoral.

 

“That was a jackrabbit with a handgun and a grudge against me for breaking into his meth lab.”

 

“And this?”

 

“Uh… oh. Badger bite. I’ve gotten a few of those but usually they don’t scar.”

 

Judy continued to feel the different ways her fox had been hurt over the years, occasionally with commentary from Nick. _Switchblade, shotgun pellets, Uzi 9mm…_ As she did, she noticed, even deeper than the scars, was a musculature toned and dense with use. Nick was not bulky by any means, but he was lean and refined. His strength was not nearly as noticeable, especially beneath the fur and scars, but it was there.

 

Eventually, the warmth and illness got the better of her. Judy found herself lulled to sleep, surrounded by her many-layered fox.

  
  
  


Nick felt a change in his rabbit’s breathing. He was happy she could finally rest.

 

He slowly uncurled himself from her, pulling the blanket up around her shoulders. With a final look at her, he crept from the room and closed the door behind him.

 

Flopping down onto the couch, Nick decided to see what was on television. When the vulpine saw nearly every station had a Christmas movie playing on it, he groaned, decided that was that, and went to his streaming service for some quality entertainment. He yawned and realized how tired he was as he surveyed the action category.

 

He fell asleep in comedy.

  
  
  


A battlefield surrounded him. The ground was cratered with shell holes and layered with ash and blood. The wind carried the smoke of a dozen fires, burning without heed.

 

Strewn about at his feet were bodies. Hundreds of them. Mammals of all species and sizes. Most of them Nick didn’t recognize, but a few stood out. He saw a beaver with a hole through his head, an ibex with his throat torn out, a bear still clutching an oversized light machine gun, a leopard resembling Ivan Meowkov…

 

_“Beautiful. Isn’t it?”_

 

A voice, cold and ethereal, emanated from no particular direction. Nick spun about trying to find its source. It was alien, and yet somehow familiar…

 

_“The lives you’ve ended. So many, many lives.”_

 

Nick trudged through the carnage, trying to find the source of these cruel words. As he carried on through this battlefield, the bodies began to look more familiar. A rotund cheetah, a muscular buffalo, a tigress and wolf still clutching each other’s paw.

 

All in ZPD uniform.

 

_“They are all doomed because of you! They will all die because of your actions!”_

 

The voice was so close now. It felt right on top of him. He had to act fast!

 

Nick scrambled, searching, and found amidst the ruin a small automatic handgun lying on the ground. Snatching it up, he checked it’s ammo and put himself in a combat mindset. His stance was readied, gun raised with his finger on the trigger. He swept his field of fire back and forth, searching for the source of the elusive voice.

 

_“Oh, how original. You think a bullet will solve all your problems this time? Bullets can’t kill me, though many have tried.”_

 

The voice was getting clearer. Where had he heard it before?

 

_“But you should know that…”_

 

Always behind him. He was practically spinning to meet its source.

 

 _“We are, entirely,_ two of a kind _.”_

 

It was behind him! Nick turned to meet whoever was speaking…

 

…Only to have a reflection grinning back at him.

 

The fox standing before Nick looked like him, a carbon copy of his stature and general appearance, and yet it was different. Blood and strings of viscera coated it’s muzzle and dripped from its claws. Nick found his gaze locked with its own. It’s eyes held slitted pupils, like the ones he witnessed during the Nighthowler case. They were the eyes of a savage, a killer.

 

“You?!” exclaimed Nick.

 

“Yeah,” said Alpha. “Me.”

 

In an instant, Nick took aim and pulled the trigger… only to hear a clicking noise coming from the automatic handgun. Hadn’t he checked the magazine?

 

Alpha grabbed the slide of the automatic and the gun began to disintegrate, flowing like sand between Nick’s fingers. When Nick recoiled and went to punch the haunting mirror image, Alpha raised his other paw and blocked Nick’s fist in an instant.

 

Alpha grinned maliciously. “Pathetic. You’re nothing without me.”

 

Alpha gripped Nick’s arm and flung the terrified vulpine to the ground. Nick tried to get up but found that he couldn’t move. His arms and legs felt like they were wading through jello.

 

As he struggled for motion, Alpha casually lent down to Nick and spoke softly in his ear, as though a lover telling a secret. “You can’t save anyone. I can’t save anyone. In the end, we’ll be all that is left. Everyone you care about will die, starting with her.”

 

Nick stopped his struggling and looked up. He felt his heart drop out of his chest at the sight of one last body, blood flowing from indeterminate wounds. Her long, springy ears had gone limp. Her beautiful violet eyes were glassed over.

 

Alpha cackled with delight. A slow chuckle that sprung forth faster and louder until it reached the edge of mania.

 

Nick felt anger welling in him. He wanted blood, and he would take it at his will. Claws extended, he let out a battlecry, a piercing sound somewhere between feral and fear, and made a desperate swing at the source of his rage…

 

 _“Nic_ k!”

 

Nick’s eyes snapped open. He was laying on his couch. A snarl was locked on his face. It quickly dropped when he realized that he really had swung with his claws. The sharp little daggers were now dug ferociously deep into the couch cushion.

 

But what horrified Nick the most was that, at the end of the sofa, stood Judy.

 

And she had tears in her eyes.

 

“Nick… “ she repeated. She advanced towards him. The fox reacted by pulling to the far end of the couch. He tucked his tail around him and clutched his arm to his chest as though it were a deadly weapon. In his mind, it very well was.

 

“Carrots… Judy, I… I should go.” He tried to stand, but a grey ball of fluff slammed into him, anchoring him in place.

 

Try as he might, the little rabbit had him pinned to the couch. Her paws gripped fiercely at the fur around his abdomen.

 

“Get off me!” He snarled. He didn’t want to hurt her. He’d never forgive himself.

 

Judy moved a paw to his cheek, forcing his eyes to lock with hers. “Nick. Nick look at me. It’s alright. Calm down.”

 

She lay on top of him until he stopped struggling. Nick had to admit he was impressed more than he was angry. _Even when she’s sick she’s unstoppable._

 

“You are _not_ going to run away from me, Nick,” said Judy, her head moved to the crook of his neck as she embraced him fully. “ _Never_ again.”

 

The fox lay on his back and looked down at her. A paw, not a weapon, alighted on her shoulder, and began to stroke it. The excitement died down and was replaced with melancholia. “I’m sorry, Carrots. It was a nightmare. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

 

“I wasn’t crying from that,” she said, looking up at him. “I got up to get a drink and found you thrashing about. And then you lept up and… the pain I saw. You were in so much pain…”

 

She sniffled. “I know! Dumb bunny, so emotional and all. But I can’t stand to see you like that.”

 

Tears began to well up in her eyes once more. “And now you-you think I hate you, or I’m scared of you, and-and I’m not! I’m just worried…”

 

Nick wrapped his arms around Judy, pulling her close. He breathed deeply of her scent. His paws stroked her back. “Come on, Judy. Jeez. Don’t cry.”

 

He didn’t like to see her cry, more than he hated feeling scared or angry.

 

He hated to see her cry.

 

Judy clutched him back. In a whisper, she spoke. “What was the nightmare about?”

 

“Oh, you know, Fluff,” said Nick, trying to hold his emotions in check. “The usual death and doom.”

 

“Nick… please,” she begged.

 

“I… it was… everyone was dead,” said Nick with strain in his voice. “It was the mammals… I had killed. It was everyone from work, _all_ our friends and… _you_ … A-and I couldn’t… I couldn’t save you. I couldn’t save you…”

 

Now it was Nick’s turn to feel the tears rising. “Because I… I’m a killer. I’m a m-monster… I d-don’t deserve to…”

 

The dam broke. Tears forced their way passed Nick’s restraint. He choked back sobs while Judy wrapped her arms around his head and held him close, his muzzle pressed against her chest. In another situation, Nick would have been self conscious about it, but here and now he couldn’t bring himself to be.

 

After an infinite moment Nick felt the wave of sorrow receding. Judy pulled back a bit to look deep into the fox’s watery eyes. “You’re not a monster, Nick. I know your past, and I know it isn’t you.”

 

“I-I know my past is behind me,” said Nick as he wiped a wayward tear away with his paw. “But I still don’t trust myself not to hurt you. Mammals died because of me. What happens if you do too?”

 

“I know you’d never hurt me, Nick,” said the doe. She took hold of his paw and held the deadly weapon to her face, nuzzling it with affection. “I want you to see that.”

 

“You don’t know…”

 

“I _do_ know, Nick!” she said with fire in her eyes. “I know you. I’ve seen your scars. You have been through so much in such a young life and I want to change it for the better. Not because I think your a charity case, but because I know that, in spite of _everything_ the universe threw at you, you still manage to be a good mammal, a fantastic friend, and someone I love.”

 

Nick couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This last month had to be a dream. He was still unconscious from his confrontation with Meowkov. _No one_ said these things to him.

 

And yet, here she was. Plain as day. Acting like he was something special.

 

Nick worked his mouth on its hinge, desperate for a response.

 

“Fuck, I love you,” he blurted out, before his muzzle locked with hers. She pushed back into his as her paw held the side of his muzzle. They pulled back and fox and rabbit alike peppered each other with kisses, nuzzling one another with affection.

 

_Not exactly smooth. But apparently effective._

 

A thought appeared in his head, conjured out of nothing. Nick took on a pensive gaze. He looked up at Judy with inquiring eyes.

 

Judy watched the tod cock his head in thought. “Whatcha thinking about, Slick?”

 

“So, do you have any?”

 

“Any what?”

 

“Scars.”

 

“Oh, I… um,” said Judy, suddenly apprehensive. This piqued Nick’s interest all the more. He watched her absentmindedly raise her paw to her left cheek. Before it could make contact, he reached out and gently pulled her paw away, placing his where hers would have been.

 

Nick brushed his paw pads through her soft fur. He found it momentarily, a distinct rise in her skin. This was what she was so afraid of showing him? “Let me guess, Carrots. One of your two hundred siblings hit you in the face with a… wait.”

 

Something was off, there were two more ridges running close and parallel with the first. Nick’s brow furrowed, then raised in epiphany. His ears flattened against his skull. He was all too familiar with these types of scars. “Claw marks?”

 

Judy nodded. “When I was a little girl, this local bully was harassing a friend of mine. I stepped in and got this from it, but not before I got in a good kick to his face.”

 

Nick listened to the rabbit with a taught expression. All the while he felt a fury building within him. What mammal… no… what _monster_ , would ever want to hurt such a gift to the world, to him. “Who did this to you?” He said with grit in his teeth. A growl vibrated up to her through his chest.

 

Judy took hold of his paw and nuzzled into it. His heart calmed at this. “His name is Gideon Grey. He’s a fox.”

 

The rage within the vulpine iced over. Several puzzle pieces fell into place. He recalled the day their friendship almost disintegrated, a press conference gone wrong after the missing mammals were recovered. He recalled his anger at her apparent betrayal, for calling predators savage.

 

He recalled he had raised his claws at her.

 

“Judy… at the press conference… when I raised my claws at you. I didn’t mean to… I’m so sorry…”

 

“Wait. No, Nick. That day was _not_ your fault. _You_ have nothing to be sorry for,” said the rabbit. “You were angry and acted on instinct. I’m sorry for having put you in that position.”

 

“Don’t be. I ran off like a coward. I’m sorry for leaving you there.” said Nick.

 

“Well, _I’m_ sorry for not chasing after you when you left,” she countered.

 

Nick gave a soft smile. “You know what? How about we recognize we _both_ made mistakes then to keep this from getting cyclical.”

 

Judy chuckled, running her fingers through the fur on his head. “Fair enough.”

 

Nick embraced her once more. “What did I do to deserve you, Carrots?”

 

“Do? Nothing.” She said. “I happened upon a kind, handsome fox at an ice cream parlor on my first day of work.”

 

Ah, that was a far better memory for Nick. It was the day he met someone who would change his life forever. He always felt better when he remembered it.

 

“Cheese and crackers,” said Nick, as he looked past his bunny, gazing at his window with darkness beyond it. “What time is it?”

 

“Nearly nine,” said Judy. “How long have you been asleep?”

 

“I dozed off after I left the bedroom,” he said. “How are you feeling by the way?”

 

“Better,” said the rabbit, giving a content sigh. “How are _you_ feeling?”

 

Nick nuzzled between her ears, making her giggle, “ Considering the emotional roller coaster? Much better. Want any dinner?”

 

“Sure. I could eat something,” said Judy.

 

“Dinner” consisted of a box of crackers and a jar of peanut butter, with packaged donuts for dessert. The fox and rabbit snuggled together on the couch, his paws wrapped around her waist as she lent back into his chest. They watched a cheesy action flick, laughing at all the insane hijinks the hero found himself in. Eventually, around midnight, the time began to catch up to them, and Nick let out a wide yawn.

 

“Getting sleepy, Slick?” asked Judy.

 

“No way, Fluff. Us foxes are a nocturnal bu-,” his bravado was cut off by another, tooth-brandishing yawn.

 

Judy giggled. “What was that, Mr. Nocturnal?”

 

Nick chuckled. “The day’s events are catching up with me.”

 

Judy raised an eyebrow, “As in all the sleeping?”

 

“I’m a professional napper,” scolded Nick in jest. “I give it my all.”

 

Now it was Judy’s turn to laugh, “Well, how about we bring our A-game and hit the hay?”

 

“Sure, Carrots,” said Nick. “You’re still sick, so you take the bed. No arguing.”

 

“Actually…” began Judy. “I was hoping _you_ could sleep in the bed… with _me_.”

 

Nick’s ears fell back. “Carrots, are you sure that’s a good idea?”

 

“I am.”

 

“I don’t want…”

 

“What did I say?” Interrupted the rabbit. “You can’t hurt me, Nick. I’m certain you won’t.”

 

Nick inhaled and slowly let the air out. “Alright, Fluff. I would love to.”

 

“Great! I’ll use the bathroom and meet you there.” she replied with a kiss on his cheek. Judy slid off the couch, while Nick gathered up the leftover food stuffs. Once she had climbed in bed, he used the bathroom himself and joined her.

 

There was no denying it, Nick thoroughly enjoyed this. The soft, warm bundle he held to his chest was peace incarnate. It felt natural, holding her. It was protective in a way. His arms wrapped around her middle, while he curled his tail around her legs, guarding her against the world. Nothing would hurt her so long as he was there. Conversely, nothing could hurt him with her by his side.

 

He dreamed far better dreams that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one went far longer than anticipated. 
> 
> Oh well. 
> 
> Already a sizable amassing of Kudos for this work. Many thanks!


	4. A Date to Remember

It was the warmth he felt first.

 

It was a warmth of two parts. The first, and most obvious, was the feeling of the early sun’s rays. They entered through his bedroom window and gently alighted on his head. His eyes opened to their call and squinted briefly in their intensity.

 

This was when he felt the second warmth. It was fluffy and weighted and concentrated in a ball near his chest. Shifting the blankets aside, Nick found the source of this feeling. A grey rabbit in green pajamas had snuggled into him.

 

Nick’s heart imploded. It’s was the most adorable thing he had ever witnessed.

 

No, not adorable, _beautiful_. The sunlight that now caressed Judy’s face framed the femininity it carried. She stretched, arching her back and giving him less-than-pure ideas of the strong yet curvaceous body beneath her sleepwear.

 

Her eyelids fluttered open, and the fox watched eyes the colour of lilacs in bloom gaze up at him.

 

“Morning, Carrots,” he whispered. A peaceful smile crossed his muzzle.

 

She smiled back. “Morning.”

 

“How’re you feeling?” he asked.

 

She reached up and scratched behind an ear, making him purr with content. “Much better. We’re having that date today, right?”

 

“Ab-so-lutely, Fluff,” said the fox between rumbling purrs. “I’ll make breakfast.”

 

Nick moved to get up, but as he swung his legs off the side of the bed, he found that his tail was caught on something. Looking back, he found that said “something” was a beautiful grey bunny who had ensnared the fluffy appendage, snuggling it to her chest.

 

The fox chuckled at this. Normally, it was considered rude to touch a fox’s tail, and he more than most didn’t want others grappling any part of him.

 

Though, if he were honest with himself, she always had his permission.

 

“Carrots, I know there are many parts of me that can be considered alluring, but if we stay like this all day nothing will get done.”

 

He lent closer to her, “Not that I wouldn’t mind it.”

 

Judy blushed, letting go of his tail. “Fine, but I’m not through with that.”

 

“Trust me, _this_ isn’t going anywhere,” said Nick, wiggling the tip of his tail in her face.

 

After breakfast, the pair spent the day preparing. Judy made a quick run to her old apartment for something non disclosed, while Nick lay out his attire on the couch. Returning from her trek, the rabbit took his room to change.

 

Nick put each piece of his outfit on with careful dexterity, from the charcoal grey slacks to a simple deep green tie that contrasted with his expertly brushed fur. He had just finished donning his suit jacket when his ears twitched towards the sound of his bedroom door opening, as a grey rabbit exited from it.

 

No. Not a rabbit, an angel.

 

What stood before the fox was a picture of beauty, wrapped in a flowing amethyst dress that hugged her body in all the right ways. Nick’s eyes couldn’t help but wander all the way down her form. The dress was modern, but with an obvious callback to a bygone era. He felt he should be offering her a cigarette while slow swing music crooned in the background. He saw her casting the same admiring look over his attire.

 

“You clean up nice, Slick,” said the doe with a smirk.

 

“Yeah,” was all the tod could muster. An obvious shake of his head brought him out of his hypnosis and made Judy laugh at his momentary loss of words. “I mean, you don’t look half bad yourself.”

 

“Awww! Did I make the silver-tongued fox speechless?” she said in a half sultry tone. She took a few struts towards the tod, hips rolling slightly, and it took all of Nick’s practiced indifference to keep his eyes jaw from dropping.

 

“Well… this is quite a change from the uniform you normally live in,” said Nick. He gave a smug look when he saw hers crack into equal parts embarrassed and flustered. “Where did you even get such a dress?”

 

“ _Stupid, snarky, handsome fox_ ,” mumbled the rabbit, as her ears flushed on the inside and fell behind her head, making her seem all the more beautiful to the fox. _Congrats Wilde, you played yourself_. “One of my sisters got it for me as a gift last birthday. Of course that was all part of Mom’s plan to have me wear it on a date with a buck she set me up with.”

 

Nick’s ears pinned back. “Yikes. So how’d that go?”

 

“I never went,” said Judy, making the fox chuckle. “But I liked the dress and decided to keep it for a special occasion… like tonight.”

 

“I’m glad you did.” said Nick as he closed the distance between them. Paws on her shoulders, he got a closer look at her. She had a moderate application of eyeliner on, just enough to frame her dazzling eyes, and the lipstick she wore was thin along her muzzle. None of her beauty was covered, or artificial, only accentuated.

 

Carefully, as though handling a clay sculpture, the fox raised the rabbit’s head with the tip of his finger, bringing her lips to his for a kiss. When they parted, Nick gave a self-conscious cough. “We should, uh, probably get going. Our reservation’s at six.”

 

Judy laughed as the fox took her arm. “Smooth as ever, Scruffy.”

 

“Again with the name-calling,” said Nick in a mock-hurt tone. “Are this handsome fox’s feelings a joke to you?”

 

The doe could only giggle in response as the pair made their way to the apartment building’s lower level parking garage. With the two mammals out of commission for weeks, Nick had been able to officially introduce Judy to his Jaguar sports car from a life long passed. However, tonight would be the first time she would get to ride in it.

 

Nick decided to make it memorable.

 

With the pair sitting comfortably in the sports car, the vulpine hit the ignition and the engine grumbled to life. He drove out of the parking garage, and navigated the streets of Savannah Central with ease. Once on the main highway, Nick gunned the accelerator, bringing the vehicle up to the speed limit in an instant, and slightly above it in the next. The car lived up to its mammalian name by letting loose a growl that Nick felt in his bones. He was lucky they were heading for Sahara Square, the city’s artificial desert biome, as natural winter was incapable of rooting itself there and the roads were snow free. He took full advantage of this as he sped along the asphalt.

 

Sparing a glance, Nick felt his own excitement peak at seeing his bunny wide eyed with an ear splitting grin on her face. _Difficult considering how much ear there is for her to split._ Before long, the pair had arrived at their destination.

 

Nick had chosen a rather upscale establishment. _Heat_ , as it was called, sat in a squat turn-of-the-century building right on the Sinai Strip; a popular shopping district in Sahara Square. The modern bistro was usually busy this time of the day, and Nick could see it packed as they entered. He mentally pat himself on the back for reserving a table. As the pair walked in, an armadillo wearing a neat suit and bolo tie took notice of the fox and rushed over from his place behind the bar.

 

“Nicky! Hey! How ya been?” he said with an enthusiastic shake of Nick’s paw. “I haven’t seen you in awhile.”

 

The fox returned the hearty shake. “Marvin! Glad to see you again! How’s Carol?”

 

“Ah, doin’ well! Is this your date this evening?” asked Marvin as he looked now towards Judy. “She’s beautiful! I didn’t know you had it in ya!”

 

“This is Judy,” said Nick as he turned to the rabbit. “Carrots, this is Marvin. I worked for him for a while.”

 

“Pleased to meet you!” said Judy. “Sooo… what did he do for you exactly?”

 

“Oh, Nicky would usually run errands for me. Fresh produce, catch of the day, he’d go all over Zootopia to bring me the best.”

 

“I was between jobs at the time,” added Nick, hoping Judy would understand his meaning. A soft expression from her confirmed it.

 

“Eyy, but look at you now, eh? A police officer! I saw both of yous on the news. You’re doin’ good, Kit.”

 

Nick never thought he would such remarks from anyone. He kept his best lazy smile on but his happiness leaked through anyway when he spoke. “Thanks, Marvin.”

 

“Ah, don’t mention it,” said the armadillo with a wave of his paw. “Anyways, it was lovely meeting you Judy. I’ll show you two to your table and leave you kits be. This way.”

 

The pair followed their host to a booth further in, sized for smaller mammals, and he left them with a pair of menus. Within a few minutes, a kudu waiter arrived to take their order. Nick choose a fish special while Judy decided on a house salad, not surprising Nick in the least. When the server left with their menus and orders, the two finally had a chance to talk.

 

“So… how long did you work for Marvin?” asked Judy.

 

“A couple months,” said Nick. “Hustling was more lucrative but this was right after the… uh… _Skunk Butt Rug incident_ , so I wanted to lay low for a while.”

 

“Ohhh,” she drew out in understanding. “Why did you go back to hustling?”

 

“Well to be honest, it’s the oldest form of income I knew,” said Nick. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was making money since I was twelve. I was a _bit_ of a delinquent child.”

 

“Arthur told me about how you got into a lot fights as a kit,” said Judy.

 

Nick flinched, his ears flicking in agitation. Judy gave him a reassuring smile that softened his heart a bit before he continued. “That was more of a… _unfortunate necessity_ , Carrots. Around the same time as those fights I started hanging around this older fox named Finnick.”

 

Judy nodded, “The fennec. I remember him. He was with you when we first met.”

 

Nick chuckled, “That he was. He was always played a convincing child… well, until he spoke at least. He taught me the ropes of a good hustle. I… well I liked it and followed him for two reasons. One, it gave me money, money I was sure would help my mom out. I tried to give her it on a few occasions but she never wanted it.”

 

Judy gave him a curious look. “And two?”

 

“I got to scam mammals who hated me out of their cash. It felt like… a victory, however small, against a world that didn’t want me. After I left my… _job_ at the agency I went back to hustling. It was the only other purpose I knew,” The fox sighed, “Can't really teach an old fox new tricks.”

 

Judy reached across the table, taking his paw in hers, “First off, _Old Fox_ , you’re my age. _Old Soul_ is more like it. Second, you taught yourself to stand up for what’s right, against the agency, against the whole world! You’re an officer now for pear’s sake! I’d call that a good new trick.”

 

Nick chuckled. “You’ve got a point there, Carrots.”

 

“I have many points,” she stated bluntly. “Don’t you forget it, Mister Fox.”

 

Nick smirked. “You’ve been on a role with nicknames tonight, Fluff.”

 

Judy returned it in kind. “Only because I’m trying to catch up to you, Scruffy.”

 

Nick’s eyes narrowed. He lent forward with a playful glint in his eye. “Whatever you say, Carrot Cake.”

 

Judy mirrored his actions precisely. “Thanks for understanding, Red Tail.”

 

“Bun-Bun.”

 

“Firefox.”

 

“Cutey-Judy.”

 

“Lean Mean Emerald-Eyed Machine.”

 

They were inches apart now. Muzzle to muzzle. Nick could smell her natural scent. Lilacs and fresh earth. Tenderly, he closed the distance between them, placing a kiss to her lips. His paw held hers and vice versa.

 

Nick pulled back a moment later. “Love of my life.”

 

He watched with no small satisfaction as Judy’s ears sprung up. Blood flushed her cheeks beneath her fur. She pulled back, futility attempting to pull her ears over her face. “Ok, you-you win.”

 

Nick laughed. “No need for a parade. As I am a _modest_ fox, for my victory all I require is the adoration of my heart’s desire,” He made a theatrical gesture towards the rabbit.

 

“Blueberries can’t feel love, Slick,” said Judy smugly, mocking his favorite food.

 

Nick made a mocked grab at his chest. “Ouch! My pride. Oh, woe is the poor unloved fox!”

 

Judy let out a rolling laugh. “You dork.”

 

“I get dramatic when I’m hungry,” said Nick with a lick of his muzzle. A realization hit him like a sack of bricks. “Oh, gods! Carrots, I just realized I ordered _meat_ . On my date with a _rabbit_ ,” said Nick apologetically. “I-I’ll go change it.”

 

Judy was responding before he even finished. “Don’t worry, Nick! I’m fine. I don’t get to dictate what you eat just because I don’t eat it.”

 

“Alright, alright, Carrots,” said Nick raising his paws, a smile gracing his muzzle. “The little bunny won’t be scared of the big bad fox tearing into the flesh of a formerly living creature?”

 

Judy smirked. “Not in your life, Slick. You’re fridge is stocked with chicken and fish. It doesn’t faze me.”

 

“Touché,” Nick chuckled. “Figures you’d know that. You _have_ been living with me for a while.”

 

“And… if it’s not too much trouble,” began Judy. “I’d like to continue living with you.”

 

Nick gave her a confused look. “You want to… move in with me?”

 

The rabbit’s ears fell. She tugged on one absentmindedly. “I kinda already did.”

 

Judy let out a gasp. “Is it too fast? I mean, if it is, I didn’t mean to pressure you! Cheese and crackers it _is_ too fast!”

 

“Calm down, Carrots,” said Nick with a chuckle. “I wouldn’t mind the company.”

 

“You mean?...”

 

“Yes, I would love for you to move in with me.”

 

The rabbit beamed. “Great!”

 

Nick continued. “However, we might need to find a new apartment. You’re gonna need a bedroom and my place only has the one.”

 

Judy’s ears turned a faint pink. “Orrrr… I could sleep in your bed… maybe?”

 

Nick’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates. “Like last night?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“But permanently?”

 

“Yes.”

 

He couldn’t hide his tail wag if he wanted to. “I’d love that, Carrots.”

 

She smiled back at him.

 

Nick’s expression fell. “Wait, what happens if I have a nightmare like yesterday? I don’t want to wake up with my claws in you.”

 

Judy took hold of his paw across the table. “Do you have those nightmares frequently.”

 

Nick cocked his head in thought. “About once or twice a month. They usually involve me reliving a mission. I’ve learned to live with them… but… I-I couldn’t live with…”

 

“Nick.” said the bunny, “Even if you tore me up tonight, I wouldn’t hold it against you. But I know you wouldn’t.”

 

“You don’t know…”

 

“Yes, yes I do,” was the stern response.

 

Nick went silent for a moment. A grin split his muzzle. Were all rabbits as stubborn as her? He sighed, gazing into her eyes. “Alright, Judy. If you trust me that much… I’ll try to trust myself.”

 

Judy returned his warm smile in kind. “I do trust you that much. You’re a good mammal, Nick. You just have to see what I see.”

 

“I love you, Judy,” said Nick, enjoying the relatively new feeling of the phrase rolling off his tongue.

 

“I love you too,” said Judy, as she once again took hold of his paw from across the table.

 

“I still can’t believe that,” said Nick, causing the bunny to giggle. “You don’t mind a scruffy fox?”

 

“I love you _because_ you’re a scruffy fox,” said Judy, giving his paw a squeeze. “You’re _my_ scruffy fox.”

 

The food arrived at this moment, and after thanking their waiter the pair took a second to observe their dishes. Before Nick could close in on his perfectly cooked salmon, however, a grey paw reached over, fork in hand, and snatched up a piece that proceeded to disappear into the rabbit’s mouth.

 

“Hmm… not bad,” said Judy, as the fox looked on in shock, his muzzle agape. “Try everything, right?”

 

The shock wore off, and gave way to laughter.

  


 

It was after nine o’clock when a fox and rabbit stumbled back into the fox’s apartment.

 

“Well, I had fun!” said the rabbit, hopping up to place a kiss on the fox’s cheek. “Thanks, Nick.”

 

“I had a great time too, fluff,” said Nick. He lowered his head, placing a return kiss right between her ears. As he pulled away, however, a soft paw reached up and grabbed the scruff on his neck, pulling him back so the rabbit could lock lips with his. Pressing further, the fox gripped the bunny by the hips and lifted her up, eliciting a small squeak of surprise. Judy was quick to recover and wrap her legs around Nick’s abdomen as they resumed their passionate ministrations. As one they fell blindly onto the couch, with the fox on top of the rabbit.

 

Their tongues danced with one another, an impressive feat considering their difference in size. Nick felt her own run rampant over his canines. His head buzzed at the feeling. A rolling growl left his mouth, followed by a moan of pleasure that left hers.

 

Lips parting, Nick gazed down at the love of his life. Her breath was shallow and warm against his muzzle, mixing with his steady huffs.

 

There was a look in her eye. It was different. Something he had never seen on her before. It accompanied a new smell that emanated from her; sweet and heady. He inhaled it with vigor, burrowing his snout in her cheek and neck. A realization hit him, halting his loving caresses. This smell was her pheromones. They told of her desire.

 

She _wanted_ him.

 

Nick withdrew from his advantageous position, the rabbit sat up and gave a curious stare, her cheeks still flushed.

 

“What’s wrong, Nick?” asked Judy, concern gracing her features.

 

Nick’s ears flitted back. “I just… the way you smell right now… You sure you want to…”

 

The bunny pulled him in for another passionate kiss. She pulled away with a longing gaze. “Yes. I really do.”

 

Nick felt a warmth blossoming in him, but tried to tamp it down. “Judy, seriously. I want you too but…”

 

“You won’t hurt me, Nick,” she said as she began laying pecks along him muzzle. “Besides, maybe I want it to.”

 

The warmth began to tingle. It forced against Nick’s restraint. An evolutionary desire clawed for release. He let out a grunting cough. “I’ll admit… that’s pretty kinky. But it’s not even about my past, Fluff. I’m a fox and you’re a rabbit. These claws aren’t just for decoration.”

 

“Gee, I never would have guessed,” said Judy in a deadpan tone as she continued to nuzzle his cheek. A wayward paw began to stroke his tail, enticing a low hungry growl from the fox. “Yes, you’re… bigger… than me. Yes, I know you have teeth and claws… and I like that.”

 

“You… you do?”

 

“What I’m saying, Slick, is we can take this as slowly as we like,” she whispered into Nick’s ear. Her breath tickled the fur there and made his triangular ear flick. “But… tonight, whatever happens, I want you… to tear me up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s coming... 
> 
> Oh, it’s coming... 
> 
> The fallout of all your good petitions...

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who’s back.  
> Back again.  
> Schwartz is back.  
> Tell a friend. 
> 
> Salutations! I have returned to continue the saga of Alpha. Life is busy, but I set out to write a coherent story and by the gods I will see it through in full! I’m taking my time with this one. No set dates. No crossing with fanfiction.net (yet). I want it to be just me and my work. I write with all the restriction of a freeform jazz musician. 
> 
> This part will be (hopefully) longer, more epically sprawling, and with base concepts like fluff and senseless action ramped up beyond safe levels of consumption. 
> 
> Get ready.


End file.
